Valeri says Victory can’t focus on Sydney and City

Melbourne Victory have gone from putting pressure on Sydney FC to fighting off bitter rivals Melbourne City.

Melbourne Victory captain Carl Valeri, left, warms up during a training session at Gosch’s Paddock. Picture: Getty Images

His team has fallen back from putting pressure on Sydney FC to fighting off bitter rivals Melbourne City for second spot, but Melbourne Victory captain Carl Valeri is adamant his men need to focus on themselves rather than what opposition teams are doing.

It was only four games ago that Victory looked to be the team most likely to put the Sky Blues under pressure in the race for the Premiers Plate, having moved to ­within five points of the unbeaten competition leaders after round 14.

How quickly things have changed. The Victorians are currently on a three-game losing streak and facing one of the more important Melbourne derbies of recent times against Melbourne City at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

A fourth loss will see fourth-placed City move to within three points of Victory and put Kevin Muscat’s men in a dogfight for ­second spot with City and Brisbane Roar.

While the question of whether Victory, or any other side for that matter, can catch Sydney remains unanswered, Valeri was not interested in even considering the ­scenario.

“Sydney have done fantastic and no one can take anything away from them,” Valeri said ­yesterday.

“They are unbeaten this season but our focus isn’t on catching them or not catching them, the focus in on ourselves.

“Yeah, I mean it would be a nice story for you guys (the media) that we want to catch them but that’s not the truth. We just want to base ourselves on our own performance, take it individually, because as you can see you can lose your way very easily.

“We were hot on their tails not too long ago and all of a sudden they are 11 points ahead of us.”

Pressed about the prospect of the losing run extending to four on Saturday, Valeri was adamant it wasn’t playing on the minds of Victory’s players.

“No, it is not. What’s the point of looking at Sydney’s or City’s form when we have to look at ourselves and control the way we perform. When we perform we get results,” he said.

Despite the two sides having met three times in the past three months, Valeri said the Melbourne derby hadn’t lost any of its fizz.

“No, it hasn’t. It is a derby and derbies are the most exciting games of the season,” Valeri said. “It is where the best football is played, where the best atmosphere is, so the more derbies the better.”

While Victory have played some good football in their three recent losses — to Wellington, Perth and Sydney FC — defensively they had issues. But Valeri refused to put the blame on any one area.

“I feel we’ve got to work to do on all the areas of our game and I know that’s a boring answer,” he said. “Our first defender is Bes (striker Besart Berisha). “We defend as a unit and attack as a unit. We have creativity upfront but it’s the seven behind, including (goalkeeper) Lawrence (Thomas) that enables them to do that.”